Note: Javascript is disabled or is not supported by your browser. For this reason, some items on this page will be unavailable. For more information about this message, please visit this page: About CDC.gov.

Historically, manual handling of materials has consistently accounted for over 25 pct of all industrial accidents. In underground coal mining, the situation is worse. Materials-handling accidents routinely account for 30 to 35 pct of all lost-time injuries. This paper describes research sponsored by the Bureau of Mines, and conducted by Essex/Canyon Research, Inc., to develop and evaluate several mechanical-assist devices to reduce the manual effort and the corresponding risk of injury from handling supplies and equipment in underground coal mines. The prototype devices were supplied to cooperating coal mining companies for evaluation. On- site visits, task analyses, and interviews were used to evaluate the devices. Three of them performed exceptionally well and have shown promise for reducing the amount of manual lifting and handling required underground.